Loose-leaf binder.



P. B. JORDAN. LOOSE LEAP BINDER. APPLICATION nu. un. 39, 1908.

1 91 9,589, Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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THE NORRIS PETERS cm. WASHINGTON. n c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED B. JORDAN, OF WINCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED B. JORDAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Winchester, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like numerals on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the pro duction of a novel, simple and effective temporary or loose-leaf binder particularly well ada ted for use in binding up catalogues or simi ar publications, in which it is desirable to make changes or additions from time to time without requiring the preparation of an entire new edition.

Many business concerns issue large and expensively prepared catalogues which must be changed or added to in some parts from season to season, and the loose-leaf system offers eeuliar advantages for such work, but to ma ie it thorou hly effective a simple and durable adjustabTe binder must be used which can be easily and quickly unlocked when desired but which under normal conditions will firmly and securely hold in locked position the loose leaves comprising the catalogue or other book.

My present invention rovides a binder having the necessary qualifications, while it is at the same time simple, strong, easily and quickly manipulated, and of relatively small cost.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a loose-leaf binder embodying one form of my present invention, the covers being spread out flat and the loose leaves being omitted for clear ness of illustration; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail on the line 22, Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2, ol' the locking member of the binder device, the cooperating member being shown in elevation; Fig. 4 is a view on the line 4-4, Fig. 2, looking toward the right.

I have herein shown my invention as applied to the flat and rigid back 1 to which the card or other covers 2, 2 are flexibly connected in any suitable manner at 3, 3, shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 29, 1908.

Patented April 27, 1909.

Serial No. 429,949.

in section Fig. 2, the inner face of the back having fixedly attached to it by suitable means, as rivets 4, Fig. 1, a base 5 extending practically the length of the back. This base in practice may be a metal bar covered with cloth, a commom form of construction, the cloth being extended to form flexible connections or hinges for opposite sides 6, 7, corresponding in length to the base and movable in parallelism toward or from each other, the held or bound edges of the loose leaves (not shown) being inter iosed between the sides, and held in place y the adjustable binder devices, of which I prefer to use two, though more may be used if desired.

Each binder device comprises two telescopically arranged cooperating members, movable longitudinally one into or out of the other, one member being mounted on one of the sides of the base and the other member on the o posite side. I have herein shown one mem ber of the binder device as a cylindrical post 8, preferably made of metal, and in the form illustrated it is fixedly mounted in one of the base sides, as 6, and extended transversely of the base toward the'opposite side 7, said post having a series of notches 9 formed on one of its sides, and preferably on the side toward the ost of the other binder device, as shown in l ig. 1. The cooperating member 10 is made as a tube rotatively mounted in the base side 7 opposite the post 8 and extended toward the upturned side 6, as clearly shown, and of such internal diameter that the 0st will slide easily in and out of it. Said tiibular member is rovided with an inturned locking latch, and ierein I have shown said latch as the free inturned end 11 of a spring tongue 12 integral with the member 10 and formed by making a V-shaped slit in it and turning its tip inward, see Fig. 3. The latch is also extended toward the outer end of the member 10 so that when the post 8 is pushed thereinto the latch will snap over the notches and into the one opposite it when the members are adjusted, but preventing separation of said members by a straight outward pull, as will be plain from an inspection of Fig. 3.

The locking members 10 can be drawn outward through the side 7 of the base when the latches are disengaged from the notches of the members 8, and such disengagement is effected by a relative rotative movement of the members 8 and 10 to thereby cause the latch to travel up out of the notch and onto the smooth, unnotched portion of the member 8. As herein arranged the relative rotation to unlock is efiected by a partial revolution of the member 10, but it will be readily seen that said melnber could be fixedly mounted and the member 8 would then be rotatively supported in its sustaining side 6. To facilitate the unlocking, and also the outward movement of the member 10 of the binder device to separate the two members thereof I have provided the enlarged head 13 at its outer end, with a projection 14, Fig. 4, in line with the latch, so that the operator can by grasping the head turn the same until the position of the projection 14 will show that the latch is out of the notch and the parts 8 and 10 unlocked. Herein a quarter turn of the head in either direction from the position shown in Fig. 4 will withdraw the latch from a notch and unlock the two members of the binder device. Then by drawing the member 10 outward, as in dotted lines Fig. 3, and pressing apart the sides 6 and 7, see dotted vlines Fig. 2, the members 10 and 8 areseparated sufficiently for the insertion or removal of the desired leaves. The loose sheets or leaves will be provided near the binding edge with usual round holes to receive the binder devices, and by making the notches 9 on the inner sides only of the members 8 there is lit tle or no obstruction to the addition or removal of the leaves, as they slide on the round and smooth portion of the post with no danger of tearing.

By the construction herein shown I do away with screw-threaded, posts and threaded nuts or ca s to screw thereon, and the locking of the inder members is effected automatically, the inward telesco ing movement being continued until the oesired compression of the bound leaves is effected, the latches springing into locking position automatically. The heads 13 are drawn against the outer face of the side 7 of the base when the binder members are telesco ed, so that the pressure of the interposed eaves upon the sides of the base cannot separate the locked members.

My invention is not restricted to use in connection with loose-leaf catalogues, and various changes may be made in details of construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a loose-leaf binder, separable binder devices arranged in pairs and adapted to telescope one into the other, and a locking latch on one member of each pair adapted to engage one of a series of notches on the cooperating member, to thereby lock the members in fixed position, a base having flexibly connected, upturned opposite sides movable toward and from each other in parallelism, one member of each pair of binder devices being fixedly mounted on one of the base sides and its cooperating member being rotatably suppgrted on the other of the base sides and movable longitudinally therein, rotative movement of the last named member disengaging the latchfrom a notch of the fellow member and enabling said members to be completely separated one from the other.

2. In a loose-leaf binder, a base having flexibly connected, upturned sides, two binder posts mounted on one side and two cooperating tubular members mounted on the opposite side of the base, and a locking device on each tubular member, a series of notcheson the inner side of each post to cooperate with the locking device, one member of each pair of said cooperating binder elements being rotatively mounted to effect disengagement of the locking device 7 on one member from a notch on the other member, the rotative members being also longitudinally base.

3. In a loose-leaf binder, a rigid back, and covers flexibly connected therewith, a base fixedly secured to the inner face of the back movable in the supporting side of the and having opposite sides flexibly connected therewith and movable in parallelism to ward and from each other within the covers, a binder device comprising two telescopic members mounted on the o posite sides of the base and separated whol y from each other by relative longitudinal movement, one member having a series of notches, and a cooperating spring lock on the other member, to automatically enter a notch and lock the members together when telescoped, rotative movement of one member relatively to its fellow releasing the lock and permitting com lete separation of said members by longituc inal movement thereof.

4. In a loose-leaf binder, a rigid back, and

covers flexibly connected therewith, a base fixedly secured to the inner face of the back between the covers, opposite upturned sides flexibly connected with the base and movable in arallelism toward and from each other, a binder device comprising two opposite members mounted on the sides and separable by relative longitudinal movement, to enter round holes in the loose leaves, and means to lock said members together and thereby prevent separation of the upturned sides.

5. In a loose-leaf binder, a base having oposite upturned sides movable toward and from each other, a binder device comprising two opposite members mounted on the sides, one member having a series of notches at one side and the other member having a spring latch to engage a notch and lock the mem hers together, and a head on the latch mem- In testimony whereof, I have signed my her having an indicator to locate the position name to this specification, in the presence of of the latch, said member being longituditwo subscribing witnesses.

nally and rotatively movable in the side of FRED B. JORDAN. 5 the base supporting it and the notched mem- \Vitnesses:

her being fixedly held in the opposite side of 9 JOHN C. EDWARDS,

the base. THOMAS J. DRUMMOND. 

